This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a storage medium.
There are widely used network systems configured by connecting a user terminal device (hereinafter, referred to as a terminal device) such as a personal computer (PC) to an image forming apparatus such as a printer by a network, such that documents, drawings, images, and the like generated in the terminal device by a user can be printed out by the image forming apparatus.
Recently, there have been used digital multi function peripherals (MFP) in offices. The digital MFPs are devices having not only a print function but also the functions of a copy machine, a facsimile, a printer, and the like.
Currently, some of image forming apparatuses such as MFPs have a so-called private print function. The private print is a function provided to prevent the contents of a printed document output from an image forming apparatus by a user from being seen by other people and to prevent the printed document from being obtained by other people. An example of a procedure for obtaining a printed document from an image forming apparatus having the private print function is as follows.
First, a user in front of the image forming apparatus transmits data of documents, drawings, images, and the like (these data will be hereinafter referred to as print data since print has been assumed) generated in a terminal device, information representing private print, and a user authentication code regarding the private print from the terminal device to the image forming apparatus. The transmitted print data is not immediately printed, but is temporarily stored in the image forming apparatus.
Next, the user inputs the user authentication code and a print request from an input device which is positioned on the front side of the image forming apparatus and is included in the image forming apparatus.
In this way, print is performed in a MFP or the like, and the user can obtain a printed material.
In a case of using the private print function as described above, since the user works in a place where the image forming apparatus is installed, the user can obtain the printed material discharged from the image forming apparatus immediately after the discharge. Therefore, it is possible to avoid failures occurring during usual print using a network. In other words, since printed materials are output from the image forming apparatus disposed in a place away from the terminal device on which the user works, it is possible to eliminate any chances for other people to see or obtain the printed materials. Further, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to take user's own printed materials.
As stated above, the private print function is effective for users who desire to preserve confidentiality of printed materials to be output. However, in the following respects, improvements are required.
In other words, in the private print, in a state where the user is close to the image forming apparatus, printed materials are output to a standard discharge destination or a plurality of discharge destinations, such as mailboxes, of the image forming apparatus.
However, even if the user designates a discharge destination for a printed material which needs preservation of confidentiality, frequently, documents and the like which a plurality of other users requests the corresponding image forming apparatus to print through the network are discharged almost simultaneously with discharge of the printed material regarding the private print and successively with taking a little time to the same discharge destination.
In this case, the user may not easily recognize when the printed material regarding the private print was discharged or what is the user's own printed material. In a case where the printed material is mixed with output documents of other users and is produced, the printed material has the risk of being seen or obtained by other people.
With respect to this, related technology 1 discloses an image forming apparatus which distinguishes discharge destinations according to, for example, image data transmitted from a device of an image reading apparatus, a computer, and the like connected to a network line to a printer.
The related technology 1 further discloses a technology for setting an empty tray where there is no remaining discharged sheet, as a sheet discharge destination, thereby avoiding mixture of discharged sheets. However, the technology disclosed in the related technology 1 does not distinguish between printed materials regarding the private print and other printed materials.